12:00am EST - With one week till the July update, things are taking shape and progress continues.

Snapping Deployables

A major quality-of-life improvement is on the way for base builders: deployable snapping. This new system makes placing items like furnaces, shelves, planters, and workbenches way easier by allowing them to snap into place along walls and next to each other with precision. You’ll be able to toggle between simple and advanced snapping modes via a new menu option, giving more control over placement behavior.

Snapping will work with a wide range of deployables — from tiered workbenches and cooking stations to fridges, shelves, and even planters. Items will align cleanly along walls or snap together when close, thanks to improved rotation logic and custom padding setups. Whether you’re trying to line up your large boxes or fit a fireplace into just the right nook, this new system is about to make your base look a whole lot cleaner.

Party System Incoming

A new party system is making its way into Rust, giving players a built-in way to group up and coordinate more easily. You'll be able to invite players directly through the in-game menu or the command, party.inviteparty <steamID>, or if you're already on the server together, you can click “Invite Friend to Team” and select them from a list. Once invited, players will get a notification not just in-game, but also through the in-game Discord overlay and Steam itself.

This system should streamline team play without relying on third-party tools, offering a lightweight way to squad up, whether you're on modded or vanilla servers. It looks like this system will be launching with the July update.

Scientist NPC Work

The Scientist NPC rework is still going strong, with a bunch of refinements landing this week. One key change: scientists will now only call for backup from their closest ally instead of the entire squad — making their responses more tactical and less overwhelming. They’re also swapping their F1 grenades for smoke, adding some sneaky new flavor to engagements.

On the pathfinding and behavior front, scientists are becoming a lot smarter with how they hold angles, peek from cover, and decide when to rush or flank — especially when zone boundaries come into play. There’s a whole new system for managing AI zones too, meant to reduce crowding and weird clustering issues. A few combat tweaks are also in the mix, including quieter melee and bow attacks, better reload logic when out of sight, and some adjustments to their health and hazmat armor values.

It’s still unclear exactly when this revamped AI will go live, but it’s shaping up to be a much more dynamic and challenging PvE experience.

Livestock Animals

A new branch suggests that livestock animals — including cows — may be making their way to Rust soon. While details are sparse at the moment, it looks like the team is exploring the idea of domesticated animals beyond chickens. Whether it’s for resources, farming, or just base ambiance, we’ll keep an eye on it and share more as things develop.

Other Stuff

Further work on Outpost Spawning (allowing players to spawn there after completing a mission)
A bunch of new work on the fresh ESC menu
Optimizations for various projectiles
Instancing work for miscellaneous optimizations
More work on fog improvements for the jungle biome
More work on the Naval Update including floating city barges
More work on the upcoming Pilot DLC including a new helmet and the M15 pistol
Further work on the Decor Lighting DLC
Fixes to the team UI
Miscellaneous optimizations for Auto Turrets